William Doggett Jr.

ARNOLD MOORE & NEEKAMP FUNERAL HOME, BARTLESVILLE, OK (918) 336-5225 - William Nance "Bill" Doggett, Jr. was born on September 2, 1936, the only child of William Nance Doggett, Sr. and Marian Bartley Doggett in Morristown, TN. He passed away on July 16th, 2017, in Bartlesville OK. After living in Oak Ridge during WW II, Bill's parents moved to Knoxville, where Bill attended junior high and high school, graduating in 1954. As he grew up, Bill became active in the Boy Scouts, attaining the rank of Eagle, and was a member of the Order of The Arrow. He attended the National Jamboree in Valley Forge PA in 1950, and Philmont Scout Ranch NM in 1953. Growing up near the mountains of East Tennessee, Bill became an active hiker. Along with friends he covered many miles of trails in the Smokies and surrounding mountains, as well as the Appalachian Trail in several states. Bill attended the University of Tennessee as an engineering co-op student, alternating college at UT with work at an aircraft company near Baltimore, MD. In the fall of 1957 he and close hiking friend John Sherrod hitch-hiked across the US and Canada, as far as Fairbanks, Alaska and back, covering more than 12,000 miles. They saw much beautiful country and met many interesting and informative people. During the trip they spent a couple of weeks working on an oil drilling rig in Wyoming. On returning, Bill resumed his engineering studies at UT and graduated with honors in June 1960. Experiences on the hitch-hiking trip convinced him that he would likely desire some outdoor work and travel in any future employment. After numerous contacts and interviews, he chose to accept a job at Phillips Petroleum Co. Bill began his work with Phillips on a seismograph exploration crew working in New Mexico and Texas. The crew was searching for oil, and while they never found any, Bill struck "gold" in a small town in west Texas. He and Mary Lou Benavidez were subsequently married on May 21, 1961 in Sanderson, TX. Shortly after their marriage, Bill was transferred to a crew working in Kansas and Nebraska. This was quite a change, but Bill was able to learn a lot more about running a crew, thanks to the Observer that he was working under. He put Bill to work actually doing things that an Observer has to know. He was an excellent teacher and guided Bill along, and gradually let him run the crew. Within a year Bill was promoted to the position of Observer, operating the recording equipment and directing the recording crew. In September of 1962 Mary Lou gave birth to their son, Jesse Bartley Doggett, in Pratt, KS, just before the crew was moved to McComb, MS. Bill worked in Louisiana and Mississippi until May 1963, and was then transferred to the Geophysical Lab in Bartlesville, OK. At the Lab he worked with other engineers - designing, modifying, and testing equipment used in seismic exploration. In 1969 the Lab and all but one of the field crews were shut down. Bill remained and continued monitoring contract crews, and later became involved in testing radio navigation and positioning systems, and helped develop the OPSEIS radio telemetry system for recording seismic data. This system eliminated the need for miles of cables and greatly improved data quality. Early in 1966 he and Mary Lou purchased an older home in Bartlesville. They made extensive improvements, added a couple of decks and other outdoor amenities. They also restored numerous pieces of antique furniture. In time their garage became a well-equipped woodworking shop, and their home became a very comfortable and pleasant place. Bill retired from Phillips in 1988. He and Mary Lou had a rich life together, and raised a son to be proud of. They had many friends, with whom they played card games, dominos, and especially croquet. His travels spanned southern Florida to western Alaska, southern California to northeastern Canada - within 400 miles of the North Pole. Overseas he visited London, Egypt and Aruba. He and Mary Lou also travelled and, over time, reached 45 states plus Canada and Mexico. In March of 1997 Bill began having severe chronic headaches. He was treated by five different doctors, including two headache specialists. None of the treatments were effective - the only relief was pain medications. In addition, he began having breathing difficulties - this was diagnosed as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - cause unknown. There was no treatment. The IPF continued to worsen until his death. Bill was preceded in death by his parents William Nance Doggett, Sr and Marion Frances; uncles Robert Samuel "Pup" Doggett and wife Annie Kate; Charles Alvin "Ab" Doggett and wife Mabel; and Jack Nelson Doggett and wife Allie Pearl; mother-in-law Andrea Benavidez and sister-in-law Rosa Picaso. He was survived by Mary Lou and by his son Jesse Bartley Doggett and wife Mary Ann, grandson Jeremiah Ian Doggett, favorite cousin Nancy Doggett Pell; brothers-in-law, Serapio Picaso and John Benavidez and Alice Peña. The viewings will be held July 19th-21st 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., July 22nd 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and July 23nd 1:00-6:00 p.m. with friends and family visitation starting at 4:00 p.m. at Arnold Moore and Neekamp Funeral Home, 710 S. Dewey Ave., Bartlesville OK. Services will be held on Monday, July 24th, 10:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 505 S. Dewey Ave. Interment will immediately follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, 4200 Nowata Road. There will be a reception afterwards at the First Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, William requested donations be made to the Boys Scouts of America. Arrangements are under the direction of the Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com.

Visitation Details

Sunday, July 23rd, 2017 1:00pm - 6:00pm, Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home

Service Details

Monday, July 24th, 2017 10:00am, First Presbyterian Church - Bartlesville

Interment Details

Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville